Bhubaneswar: The chief justice of India, Dipak Mishra, Friday said high courts in the country have started disposing of criminal appeals that are pending for 10 years.  In past three months, the high courts in the country have disposed of 1410 cases of criminal appeals that are pending for 10 years by sitting on Saturdays .

Stating that emphasis is being given on high courts to complete criminal appeals pending for 10 years, justice Mishra said the judges and lawyers have been asked to work on Saturdays.

The Madhya Pradesh high court has topped by disposing of 321 cases followed by the Chhattisgarh with 186.  The high courts of Patna, Punjab & Haryana, Gujarat and Odisha have disposed of 177,  152,  125 and  71 cases respectively.

Justice Mishra, while addressing the 46th All Odisha Lawyers’ Conference, here on Friday, said the Odisha government is doing all possible things for the people of the state to get justice at their doorstep. Already more than 170 courts have been established in last 4 years and for the coming financial year, there is a target to establish further 50 new courts in the state, he added.

He informed that Odisha government has agreed to install air conditioners in all court rooms in the State by April-May to speed up the process of disposal of pending cases.

The CJI  said that the role of lawyers is not confined to courts alone or advising clients in business deals. It extends to being an integral part of our system of administration of justice, and justice not just in the legal sense but justice that is social, economic and political as set out in the preamble of our Constitution.